Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Mall talk

Ok so i'm going to dedicate this post to talk about all of the local malls in my area. What I like about them, what I dislike, etc. 
Here goes..

1. Eastern Hills Mall
Eastern Hills is not one of my favorite malls in the area. Why? Because they are constantly adding and getting rid of stores. Recently about 3 or 4 stores have left the mall i don't know why. Either the stores weren't making money or Eastern Hills wasn't making money. Either way, the mall is losing stores!! Not adding them!! The food court is ok they have a couple different things. Pizza, subway, Chinese food. There's this unique little pie shop that a nice man owns (& the pies are delicious!). But anyway the latest news on Eastern Hills is that they're getting rid of Dave & Buster's. It's set to move to its new location at the Galleria. I don't spend a lot of time shopping at Eastern Hills anymore because a lot of my favorite stores aren't there. The only stores I really go to at EH are Bath and body works, Victoria's secret, & Spencer's. Now there used to be a Journey's at Eastern Hills & a Hot Topic once upon a time but those are gone now. The only thing that will make this mall better are if they add a new store every time they get rid of a store. I do like that they added a Tim Hortons in this mall near the Irish store and the Jewelry store in the center of the mall, and I do like that this mall is so big. 

My rating: 

2. Boulevard Mall
The Boulevard mall is a great mall. It has been around for 53 years. It has always been one of my favorites. My mom always took me there when I was younger & I used to love it because it had the merry go round. That's one of the things that it doesn't have anymore. They decided to just get rid of the entire food court including the merry go round to replace it with a brand new Dick's. Yep, Dick's. Like that place is more important than eating & riding a merry go round! Well whatever. You can't stop them from doing what they're doing. Anyway, I like this mall because it is a very nice shopping atmosphere. They have trees in the mall like they are supposed to be growing there and there's nothing wrong with that. (because trees always grow in malls, right?) & there are sky windows so you can remind yourself that you are not locked in a lifeless building filled with retailers & annoying teenagers, there is in fact a world out there with a pretty sky. This mall has a lot of good stores. They did have a lot of great places to eat too, but nevermind. One of my favorite stores is a new one that was just added recently, called Francesca's. They sell mainly accessories but they also have clothes & gifts & girly stuff. I love it. They also re-vamped their Victoria's Secret & added a VS Pink. So that's cool. I also like that this mall has fro-yo (yogen fruz). Some of my favorite stores in Boulevard are Journey's, Hot Topic, Victorias secret, VS pink, & Shoe Dept. Encore. I really like that this mall has Bonefish grill in it & TGI Friday's. It's always nice after a long day of shopping to actually sit down & eat & get waited on instead of sitting in a loud food court with children running around. 

My rating:

3. Galleria Mall
Ok, so you probably guessed it. One of my all time favorites. The Galleria I spent more time in as a kid because let's be honest, it was the best when Kahunaville was in there. It also used to have the looney tunes in there & a cool elevator with a waterfall going over it. But all that's gone now obviously. Time goes on & things change. But it's still one of the best malls ever. Galleria is a hugely successful mall and you can tell because they just. keep. adding. things. & that's a good thing because the mall will make more money so they can add more. They just recently added a humongous Michael Kors store & I haven't been there yet but I have a feeling that it's about the size of the MK store in the outlet mall. So I'm looking forward to stopping in there & seeing how big it is & what they're selling in there. They recently just added Lululemon which sells a lot of the best yoga gear. There's a Microsoft store, Sephora, True Religion, Urban Outfitters, the list goes on & on.. & the food court has a lot of great food. They also just added a new restaurant called Texas de Brazil which is a steakhouse. I really like that this mall has so many different stores & places to eat. I don't like that one of my favorite stores was there & left but sometimes stores just don't do well. & I can always shop at that store on their website. But anyway this mall I would say is the #1 shopping location for anyone located in the WNY region because it is just so vast & it's a shopper's paradise. This mall is one where i'd love to shop til i drop- literally. They really do have the biggest selection of shops & restaurants. Slowly & surely I am getting to as many of them as I can. I just recently checked out the melting pot and I'm hoping to check out that new restaurant as well. One of the only downsides is that parking can be a bitch sometimes. But whatever. You have to fight for the parking spots just like you have to fight for that last cute bag that's on sale at your favorite store.

My rating:


Shoptiques

So i just found out about a cool website where you can shop at tons of different boutiques from all over the world online! So if you love online shopping & you love boutiques, then go check out this site!! They feature boutiques from France, the UK & the United States. They have the name of the boutique listed & what the boutique is best known for. One boutique from Buffalo, Village Designs on Elmwood is on the site & I actually found out about the site from their instagram account. But anyway, how cool is this website? This takes the online shopping addiction to a whole new level.


I think this website is especially cool because I was in Brooklyn a few weeks ago and while I was there we stopped in a couple shops in Soho & the shops were all so amazing and so different. There was no way I was ever going to afford anything in any of them but it was cool to see the insides of all of the shops & the window displays. This boutique shopping website is one way I can kind of revisit my boutique experience in Soho. Maybe if i have enough money to buy something from one of the shops ever, I can head over to this site and buy it! Who knows. I just checked the site and there are actually 7 boutiques from Soho on there. That is so cool that I can actually buy things from those boutiques without having to take an 8 hour drive! The power of the internet.


Another great thing about this website is that it supports shopping locally. Too many malls are being built with chain stores that sell crap clothing. I love the idea of going downtown to one of your favorite local shops, and buying an item that is one of a kind. Sure it may be a little pricier, but it's worth it to have something that is made with love locally and with good quality fabrics and materials. These days it is very hard to run your own business & this website is great to support those who are doing it. The site also offers free shipping over $100.00 and free returns! Which gives you a little more incentive to shop on the site if you didn't want to already. You can also chat with a personal stylist on the site if you need help putting together the perfect look.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Evolution: Zen wearable art meets fashion event

Yesterday night, at the UB center for the arts a fashion show took place putting the emphasis on sustainability in fashion. Sustainability is moving into the spotlight in recent designs due to an increased interest in environmental issues. More customers want to decrease their environmental footprint and increase their awareness in how to be more sustainable. This is a good change for fashion and the fashion industry. 
Although I didn't get to model in the show (& I would have really loved to be a part of this event) I did get to see a lot of the looks thanks to some of the great photos that were taken & posted on facebook. Here are a few of them that I saw on the event page:




 
 
The designs were very creative & sustainable! It's always interesting to see what designers can do with different materials. I think it would be cool if I tried to enter a design into this event next year. & if I don't then I'll have to get a ticket to this awesome event! I definitely missed out on this! The designers really did use the most unconventional materials to make their designs & they really did deliver. I thought it was cool to see on the facebook page that they made bowls to serve before show snacks out of red solo cups! Now that's innovative. 
Sustainability will continue to be the focus as more people are interested in conserving the environment so we can all live in a healthier environment. After all, without the earth we wouldn't have anywhere to live! Therefore more consumers might look to clothing made with recyclable material & fabrics that can be easily recycled. With the amount of clothing that is thrown out each year, it is wise to consider when making a garment that it is made out of sustainable material. Happy planet = happy people. Eco friendly materials may cost a bit more, but it is worth it in the longrun. Too many landfills have been filling up & the ozone is getting more holes. It's time that we try and make a difference & make more of an effort toward sustainability. This event is just one example of how we can..

Minion Yellow



Pantone Color Institute recently issued a new color to add to its list: Minion Yellow! Yep, they decided to name it after the cute, crazy little creatures from Despicable Me. Good choice, Pantone. Really though, I love those movies! They are so cute. If you haven't seen them, you have to. Anyway, according to Pantone:
"Minion Yellow is an illuminating, energetic, friendly, and fun-loving yellow shade that immediately calls out to you."


I don't know about you, but all this yellow talk makes me want a BANANA! Just like the minions' obsession. What do you think? Would you incorporate this color in your wardrobe or home? Maybe all of the families expecting a baby want to be surprised by the gender & will just paint the room Minion Yellow! I think this color may catch on as spring has sprung and yellow is a springy color. But I can't see me wearing the color or anything similar. That's just me. According to the website, this color was added April 14th 2015 & it is the first color that is character-branded & inspired by the minions. That is totally opposite of despicable! Minion power!

Here's a fun little set I made featuring the little guys:

By the way if you haven't been, or if you're planning a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando, you should definitely check out the minion mayhem ride! They just recently added it, & its a virtual ride where you become one of Gru's minions. Fore more information, check it out at this link: http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/attractions/despicable-me-minion-mayhem/ 
So that's it. Minions have their own color now. This is minion mayhem!!! 

Covet: LOVE IT


If you have a smartphone, & you're into fashion like I am, then take my advice: & download the Covet fashion app. After I downloaded it I became hopelessly addicted. Every morning I wake up & enter the daily $500 event. What you do on the app is you essentially become a fashion stylist, entering events to win money & diamonds. You can use the money & diamonds to buy more clothes & increase your closet value. It's really cool for someone like me who is a fashion major because being a stylist is actually really fun! (from what i've been doing on the game) & the game includes all of the designer names of the items as well as where you can actually buy those items online. It's pretty similar to Polyvore if you're familiar with that site. The only downside to this app is that you have to vote on the looks which to me is very repetitive & boring but some people might enjoy it. I definitely don't. you have to have 25 tickets to enter each event and every time you vote on a look, you only receive 2 tickets unless you pay like $5 then you get 4 tickets every time you vote on a couple looks. It's tedious. But I don't really pay attention when I vote I just do it to get my tickets. LOL. 


The real reason why I think this game is so addicting is because it works with the chemistry of a shopping addict's mindset. When I have money on the app, it literally burns a hole in my pocket just like in real life! It's crazy. I will see something in the app that I want to buy & as soon as I have the money, I go to the store and buy it. I get the same feeling I get when I buy something I want in real life. So it works like that. All i know is, the makers of this app must make a ton of money because the people who actually spend real money on it are probably even more hopelessly addicted than me. (i've only spent $5 on it so far but I don't plan on spending any more!) 
But seriously, download the app. You won't regret it unless you start to spend all your money on it. 
& for every person you refer the app to if & when they download it, you get a $1000 reward in the game. So that's pretty cool too. More spending money!!

Spring 2015 Trend

I did a trend report in my Fashion Forecasting class on what I've been seeing a lot of recently: sexy & sporty underwear. Women's intimates have been getting more manly, incorporating logos & getting in touch with their comfier side. Not all underwear has to be sexy. Here are a couple photos of this trend: 


(Hustler lingerie) 
Why are more brands starting to incorporate the sporty look into their designs? The answer to this question lies in the zeitgeist. These designs are in sync with the spirit of the times in today's society. With the increase in the amount of people joining gyms and athletic programs, doing yoga, spinning, or any other physical activity in order to be fit & healthy, more & more consumers are going to be looking in the activewear section in the department store. In fact I have noticed that many stores, such as Forever 21 amongst others have added an activewear section to accommodate to the active consumer lifestyle. If you ask me, this trend is a good thing for the United States. For so long this country has struggled with obesity & diabetes, but it's time for us all to get off our butts & join the athletic trend! It's healthy & fashionable (: